Etuaptmumk: A Conversation with Elder Dr. Albert Marshall & Professor Emeritus Richard Kroeker
Join Elder Dr. Albert Marshall and Professor Emeritus Richard Kroeker on March 27 for an intimate conversation on Etuaptmumk.
Sponsored by the Winters Endowment Fund and hosted by Dalhousie’s Faculties of Architecture and Planning and Engineering, this event will explore Two‑Eyed Seeing, the guiding principle that brings together the strengths of Indigenous and Western knowledge, discussing its history and its influence on design, education, and living in a respectful relationship with the natural world.
This event also highlights the Murdena and Albert Marshall Bursary, created to honour the Marshalls’ lifelong dedication to education, cultural knowledge, and community wellbeing. The bursary provides financial support for Mi'kmaw students enrolled in an undergraduate program at Dalhousie University, enabling them to pursue careers in professional fields and carry forward the spirit of Etuaptmumk.
Date: Friday, March 27, 2026
Time: 5:30-7:30 PM
Location: Irving Oil Auditorium, Richard Murray Design Building, 5257 Morris Street, Halifax
Registration: https://etuaptmumk-conversation-2026.eventbrite.ca
Reception with light snacks to follow.
The evening will open with a traditional prayer led by Dalhousie Elder‑in‑Residence Ann LaBillois, followed by words of welcome and introductions by Dalhousie’s Vice-Provost Indigenous Relations, John R. Sylliboy. Elder Charlotte Bernard from Sipekne'katik First Nation will round out the event with traditional drumming, leading attendees into the reception.
Space is limited! Please register early for either in‑person or virtual attendance to secure your spot. A virtual access link will be provided once you register for online attendance.
We hope you will join us for this meaningful gathering and help strengthen awareness, understanding, and the impact of Two-Eyed Seeing within our community.
Interested in supporting the Murdena and Albert Marshall Bursary? Donate now at Giving.dal.ca/marshallbursary.
Meet our speakers and special guests:
Elder Dr. Albert Marshall is a respected Mi’kmaq Elder from Eskasoni, Unama’ki (Cape Breton Island) and a member of the Moose Clan. A leading voice on environmental issues, he serves as Elder Advisor to the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources. Elder Marshall is a lifelong advocate for Mi’kmaw language revitalization and for integrating Indigenous knowledge with Western scientific approaches.
Together with his late wife, Dr. Murdena Marshall, he introduced the guiding principle of Etuaptmumk or Two-Eyed Seeing, which encourages learning to see from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous ways of knowing and from the other with the strengths of Western science. This concept has influenced teaching, research, and policy across Canada.
Elder Marshall co‑created the Integrative Science Program at Cape Breton University and continues to advise universities, research councils, and professional organizations nationally and internationally.
His contributions have been recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from Indspire, honorary doctorates from Cape Breton University, Acadia University, and Humber College, and his 2023 appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Richard Kroeker is a graduate of the University of Manitoba and the Architectural Association in London, UK. After several years of practice in the United Kingdom—during which he achieved professional registration—he returned to Canada to accept an academic appointment at the Technical University of Nova Scotia. He continued through its transition into the Dalhousie University Faculty of Architecture and Planning, where he is now Professor Emeritus. Throughout his academic career, he has maintained an active design practice, with a particular focus on cultures and communities facing ecological and cultural threats.
Richard has taught widely as a visiting professor, including at the University of Gambia extension program, the Peter Behrens School of Arts in Düsseldorf, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, and the University of Minnesota. His design work has been recognized with numerous international awards, among them the World Architecture News Finalist Award, the Chicago Athenaeum International Building of the Year Award, the Schelling Institute Medal in Architecture, and the Nova Scotia Association of Architects Keystone Award. Most recently, he received a World Architecture Festival Special Award for buildings of cultural and environmental merit, the 2023 World Architecture Festival Award for Future Cultural Building of the Year, and a 2023 HOLCIM Foundation Award for environmental design excellence for a collaborative project with Oxbow Architecture, completed in late 2025. In 2023, he was inducted into the Order of Canada for his contributions to Canadian culture.
For many decades, Richard has also worked in close collaboration with Dr. Albert Marshall, both in Nova Scotia and through an activist design studio with the Dakota Nation in Minnesota. Together, they explore how Indigenous ways of knowing can reshape how we design, teach, and conduct research—offering critical insights for more responsible and culturally grounded architectural practice.
John R. Sylliboy is a Mi’kmaw leader from the Millbrook First Nation and Dalhousie University’s first Vice‑Provost, Indigenous Relations. He brings decades of community‑based leadership, advocacy, and academic experience to the role, including work with the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs, co‑founding the Wabanaki Two‑Spirit Alliance, and partnering in Indigenous health research. Sylliboy holds a Master of Education from Mount Saint Vincent University and is completing a PhD at McGill University focused on Two‑Spirit identities and youth support.
Elder Ann (Annjij) LaBillois is Dalhousie University’s newest Elder in Residence, supporting Indigenous students through one-on-one meetings, smudging, opening prayers, and cultural support. Ann is from Ugpi’ganjig (Eel River Bar), New Brunswick, grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, and is a mother of three and grandmother of three. She brings over 12 years of experience as an addiction counsellor at the Eel River Bar Health Centre and holds a certification in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) from the University of Massachusetts. Through her life journey, Ann has developed a deep understanding of the ongoing impacts of colonialism, including the intergenerational effects of residential schools experienced through her father, Issac LaBillois. Today, she is passionate about sharing the teachings and gifts that have supported her healing and reconnection.
Elder Charlotte Bernard is a Mi’kmaw Matriarch from Sipekne’katik, Nova Scotia, and currently lives in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Nova Scotia. A nurse by trade, Charlotte has worked for many years with the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre in a variety of roles, supporting the Urban Indigenous community. Today, she serves as a Cultural Advisor, sharing Mi’kmaq culture and teachings while also writing a book about her life journey. Charlotte is a mother to three phenomenal daughters and a grandmother to two cherished grandchildren. In her personal time, she enjoys beading earrings, Indigenous crafting, darts, bingo, and is well known for being an avid hugger.
Roger Mullin is a Professor of Architecture at Dalhousie. He has practiced professionally in North America and Germany and lectures internationally. His award‑winning research examines the material and climatic dimensions of coastal landscapes through drawing, design‑build, and field‑based collaboration. Roger's recent collaborative work developed support structures for youth athletes at the North American Indigenous Games held here in Kjipuktuk in 2023.
Chef Ray Bear is a renowned Cree chef from Muskoday First Nation with over 30 years of experience blending Indigenous ingredients with modern culinary techniques. Based primarily in Halifax, Nova Scotia, he is an award-winning chef who has worked across North America, including at Studio East Food + Drink and the Juno Awards. Ray is deeply committed to sustainable, land‑based cooking and to mentoring the next generation of Indigenous culinary leaders.
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